In the days after George Floyd’s death at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer on May 25, 2020, tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets across several U.S. cities to express outrage amid the coronavirus pandemic.
In Denver, demonstrators blocked intersections downtown and stopped traffic on I-25. Officers were deployed in riot gear, shot pepper ball guns and tear gas and used military-grade vehicles. The mayor instituted curfew for more than a week and the governor called in the Colorado National Guard.
Hundreds of people were cited or arrested as well as injured due to the confrontations with authorities. (Years later, Denver continues to settle lawsuits alleging police brutality.)…